Archive for May, 2007
Notes on PS3′s Firmware 1.8
Posted by Blackstaffer in PS3 on May 24th, 2007
Hey folks. Now that we’ve seen the big news about Firmware 1.8 for our black PS3 boxes, we’ve had time to digest the news. Did anything strike you as interesting, or something to be wary of? For me, there were a couple things:
- A reader (Jason) pointed out that you can now copy savegames from your PS3 back onto your PS2 memory card using the memory card adapter. This was a major criticism of the PS2 – PS3 back-and-forth story, and now it’s been addressed.
- If you go into the menus and take a look at the upscaling options for PS2/PS1 games and for DVD’s, they are anything but intuitive. I’m going to have to look them up to see what they do.
- Upscaling a DVD, while a nice feature, isn’t really that big a deal unless your HDTV is crappy at it. Your HDTV upscales all input resolutions to its own native resolution anyway, so what does it matter if the PS3 does it or your HDTV does? It only matters if the PS3 does a noticeably better job at it. Of course, that doesn’t mean I won’t try it. But I honestly don’t expect to see a big difference. The story for PS1/PS2 games is different – take a look at these screenshots.
- The update includes the ability to output Blu-ray movies at 24 FPS. This is great news for all you videophiles out there who want to avoid all that pulldown nonsense and have a display with a refresh rate that is a multiple of 24. (Unfortunately, that’s not me.
) - I haven’t tried TwonkyMedia yet because I was at my weekly games night last night. (We played Xbox 360 Burnout and Guitar Hero, as well as the really good card game San Juan, in case you’re wondering.) But reports are that it may not be able to support the AAC format, which would be very disappointing.
- Unfortunately, here at work we use a wireless security protocol not supported by the PSP. So I can’t stream music (or whatever) from home to here at work. I’m just a wee bit disappointed.
Any other thoughts?
Update: According to someone over a HD Engadget:
- The PS3 can now downscale BD (1080p) movies to 720p. (Wait a sec. Didn’t it already do this?)
- Blacker-than-Black (BTB) and Whiter-than-White (WTW) support with (full range/limited) the BTB has been confirmed by DVE
- HQV DVD test and the PS3 1.80 firmware passes ALL tests!! Cadence, interlacing, artifacting, you name it, it passed!!!
Information is from this PS3 thread at AVSForums.
Update 2: Someone shows off their installation of Vista seeing the PS3, and vice versa:
PS3 1.8 firmware streams music, photos, and video from Vista
More screenshots of same:
Sony PS3 Firmware 1.8 Screen Shots Surface
Update 3: There’s also a new photo slideshow mode that’s supposed to be pretty good.
Update 4: Here’s a link that shows off the upscalling and smoothing feature for PS1 and PS2 games:
Firmware 1.8 Adds DVD Upscaling, Global Remote Play, and DLNA Support!
Posted by Blackstaffer in PS3 software on May 23rd, 2007
PS3 Firmware Version 1.80 Announced
Latest PLAYSTATION 3 Firmware Update Provides PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and DVD Upscaling Remote Play on PSP (PlayStation Portable) via the Internet and DLNA transfer of media content also enabled
London, 24 May 2007 – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) announced today availability of the latest version of the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) firmware. Version 1.80 features upscaling of PlayStation® and PlayStation 2 games, and DVD movies up to full 1080p HD resolution when viewed on a compatible HD TV set.
The capability to upscale DVDs to HD quality is a feature normally only associated with top range DVD players, and its inclusion in the latest firmware upgrade now allows PS3 owners with an existing DVD collection to dramatically enhance the viewing pleasure of their DVD collection when viewed through a compatible HD TV set1. Not only can DVD movies be enhanced to full 1080p HD quality but so too will PlayStation 2 and PlayStation games be upscaled to provide much improved gaming pleasure.
In a comprehensive update to PS3’s already impressive capabilities, Version 1.80 also allows users to enjoy Remote Play on their PSP across the internet, allowing them to access their PS3 anywhere in the world where a broadband internet connection is available2.
Version 1.80 also allows users on a home network to seamlessly view and play rich media content such as images, music and video on their PS3, that is stored on their DLNA3 enabled devices such as PCs and laptops elsewhere in the house, reinforcing PS3’s credentials as a home entertainment hub that truly deserves pride of place in the Living Room.
A host of other enhancements include the ability to print photo images stored on PS3’s hard disk or inserted storage media to a selection of Epson printers.
PS3 owners will be able to upgrade their PS3 with the latest Version 1.80 firmware from 24th May 2007.
- ends -
Notes
1. DVD-ROM (including DVD Video content) can only be upscaled with HDMI compatible TV sets.
2. Use of Remote Play requires a powered up PS3 with Version 1.80 as well as PSP firmware version 3.50 which will be available at the end of May.
3. DLNA – Digital Living Network Alliance. For more info on DLNA, please see http://www.dlna.org/en/consumer/home
Did you get into the Warhawk Beta?!
Posted by T0SH in PS3, PS3 software, W, ZGame Profiles on May 23rd, 2007
You can check by going to your Account Management page and click “Transaction Management” then “View Service” If your lucky you’ll see something like this!
Go check it now to see if your a lucky winner 
I’m very excited to be testing this out tomorrow. It’s still hard to believe I actually got in. Good luck to all the PS3Blog writers & readers.
Edit (by Henning): The beta period will be “Beta Start 5/24/08 – Beta End 6/26/08″ (surely they must have meant “07″, right?). If you want to know you’re in the beta, log into your PSU account.
Edit (by Tosh):
You can also check this site to see if you got into the beta.
DMC4 Delayed Until “Q1 ’08″
Posted by Gary in D, PS3 software on May 23rd, 2007
Eurogamer has a hands on preview of Devil May Cry 4 but I had barely finished reading the first paragraph before I was smashed in the face with a sledgehammer and was then repeatedly set upon by a herd of angry Elephants:
Surely the game must be out soon? Not so. Fans have a further nine months to wait until it finally emerges sometime in “Q1 2008″, our Capcom rep regretfully informs us.
The preview hasn’t revealed anything I didn’t already know so check it out if you want.
Upcoming PS3 Titles
Posted by Blackstaffer in PS3 software on May 22nd, 2007
Every once in a while I take a look at the list of release dates for PS3 software that IGN compiles, and I tabulate the games that I’m interested in. (Note of course, that you really have to take this list with a grain of salt, because anything more than a few days out usually gets delayed, especially games from Ubisoft.) Here’s the list of (2007) games I’m interested in, with question marks by the games that I’m unsure of.
August:
GRAW2
Medal of Honor: Airborne
September:
Assassin’s Creed
Heavenly Sword
Burnout Paradise
Home
DiRT ?
Warhawk
October:
Army of Two
Monster Madness ?
Singstar
November:
Guitar Hero III
Rock Band
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune ?
SOCOM: Confrontation ?
TBA 2007:
Call of Duty 4
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars ?
Joust ?
Killzone PS3
Note that there’s nothing I care about until August, and it’s the middle of May now. Grrrr….
Edit:
The good news is, that when I looked at IGN’s Xbox 360 list, I couldn’t find anything I wanted (that wasn’t on the PS3), outside of Halo 3.
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